


Hit the Road

by Havoka



Category: The Walking Dead (Video Game), Walking Dead
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-15
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-25 15:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/640485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Havoka/pseuds/Havoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Lee had been able to travel with Lilly when she left in the RV?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Clementine hurried alongside Lee as he stalked over to the RV in silence. "Where are we going?" She asked. Saying nothing, Lee pulled open the door of the vehicle and climbed inside. Clementine followed without question, still curious about Lee's unspoken plan.

Once they were both inside, Lilly reached over and shut the door behind them. "Let's go." She said in a low, determined voice.

Lee nodded, then turned back to Clem. "I need you to sit down, sweet pea. We're gonna be moving." He gestured to the seats behind the driving area.

Clementine reluctantly took a seat at the one of the tables. "What are we doing?" She persisted, a frown painting her innocent face.

Lee knelt down to her level. "Don't worry, I'll explain it all once we get going."

Lilly sat down in the driver's seat, while Lee took up post in the passenger side. "He left the keys in the ignition." Lilly whispered, her tone one of crazed excitement. " _They're right here._ "

Lee couldn't help feeling excited as well. He and Kenny had never gotten along to begin with, and they both knew Lilly was as good as dead if she stuck around. This could be a whole new opportunity for the two of them.

And of course, for Clementine as well.

The RV growled to life as Lilly turned the key. Outside, Kenny and the others began to take notice. Lilly and Lee exchanged glances, Lilly's eyes glittering with mischief.

"Floor it." Lee uttered.

Needing no permission, Lilly punched the gas. The RV lurched into motion, tires screeching as they kicked up dirt and mud at the other survivors. From out of the dust emerged Kenny, chasing futilely after them as they sped off down the open road.

Clementine watched out the back window as Kenny grew smaller and fainter in the distance. Up front, she heard Lee and Lilly speaking in hushed tones, the air thrumming with renewed enthusiasm.

She wondered why Kenny had been running after them – had they forgotten something? What were they even doing in the first place? And hadn't Lilly been handcuffed just a little while before? The questions irritated her as she tried to stay quiet and just trust Lee. He hadn't wronged her yet – he wouldn't start now, right?

Trees flashed by the windows as Lilly kept her boot stomped on the gas pedal. "So...what's the plan?" Lee asked, after a long silence had wedged itself between them.

Lilly kept her eyes on the road as she swerved to avoid a Walker. "I think we should try my old Base. There have to be some supplies still there. It's not too far from here, and I know the place inside and out."

"You think there'll still be stuff there? I'd guess military bases would be one of the first places getting looted and cleaned out."

Lilly's cautious brown eyes drifted over to him for just a moment. "I was part of the personnel. I know where everything is kept. How to get into anything there."

Lee paused. "Any chance there might be a plane there, or something? That'd be a great way to escape this hellhole. And unless those fuckers learn how to fly, we'd be safe from Walkers too."

Lilly sighed. "Great plan – but unless you know how to fly a plane, we're grounded."

"Wait, you don't know how to fly one?" Lee responded with raised eyebrows.

"...No. I don't."

"How can you be in the Air Force and not...I mean, I just assumed that..." He trailed off, not wanting to offend her.

Lilly's bony shoulders sagged as she rested her free hand on her forehead. "I was just a secretary." She mumbled, too faintly for Lee to hear.

"What was that?" He asked, leaning a little closer to her.

"I said _I was just a secretary._ " She practically shouted, startling Lee back into his seat. "I filed fucking paperwork."

Shocked at the revelation, Lee stifled a laugh. " _What._ " Lilly spat, her voice dripping with venom.

"Nothing, nothing." He smiled at her, trying to make her feel less defensive. "You just don't seem like the type."

"And you don't seem like a convicted felon. Guess we're all hiding something, huh?"

Lee was at once both stung and impressed by her lightning-fast comeback. A strange combination, but then, Lilly Caul was a strange woman. So it was fitting.

Along a smooth patch of road, Clementine appeared between the two of them. She demanded to know where they were going and why. Lee contemplated lying to her, but he knew she was a highly perceptive girl and probably had a few ideas in mind already. So he chose to be honest with her.

"We're looking for a way out of Georgia, at least for a while. Away from all the Walkers and bandits. And away from the people who were holding us back."

Clementine's eyes widened. "But what about Duck and Ben? They're my friends!"

"I'm sorry, sweet pea, but we just can't take a chance bringing them all with us. We're safer in a small group."

"Will we ever see them again?" Her voice cracked while she tried not to sound sad.

Lee hesitated. Noting his indecision, Lilly stepped in. "We might." She cooed in an uncharacteristically gentle tone. "Try not to be too upset about it, okay sweetie? We're here for you now."

Clementine's bottom lip quivered. "But I don't want to leave them...can't we go back? At least for Duck?"

"I'm sorry, Clementine, but we just can't." Lilly kept her tone soft but absolute. "We might meet up with them again, once this Walker mess is over with."

Gentleness was a trait Lee had seldom seen in the woman. When she spoke to Clementine, her voice was tender, motherly. He found himself intrigued by it.

"I don't want to go without them..." Clem whimpered, aware at that point that nothing she could say would change the plan.

Lilly exhaled in frustration, her maternal spark obviously snuffed out. Lee also hung back, not sure how to console the poor girl. As much as he tried to be, he wasn't a parent and neither was Lilly. They didn't know how to properly comfort her.

Eventually she disappeared back into the living area. The two adults continued to formulate a rough plan – essentially, use Lilly's knowledge of Robins Air Force Base to loot it for whatever's left, stop by the Motor Inn (which was on the way) to see if anything could be salvaged, and then press onward out of Georgia. It was dangerous for sure, but they were confident they could handle it. After all, they were two broken souls, with nothing left to keep them going save for each other and Clementine. Desperation was a powerful weapon, and they had it in spades.

As they pressed on, Lee found himself watching the woman beside him. Blood still smattered her boots from the earlier confrontation with Ben and Doug. As Lee lingered on that memory, he realized that, despite how he felt toward Lilly at the time it happened, in reality he was not all that different from her. They were both murderers. The only difference was that his homicide had been one of sheer passion and rage, while Lilly's was rooted in her belief that Ben was sabotaging their group. She acted out of responsibility (albeit a paranoid version of such); he acted out of pride and anger.

Her crime was nothing compared to his.

An abandoned car on the side of the road caught Lilly's attention. It still had all its external parts attached and didn't look stripped in the least. "That car might have supplies inside." She remarked as she pulled over beside it. "Want to help me check it out? We need to move fast."

"Of course." Lee reached for the pistol tucked into the back of his pants, and then remembered that Lilly had no weapon. "What do you have to protect yourself with?"

She glanced around for something to wield. Finding nothing out in the open, she reached over and pulled open the glove compartment. To the surprise of both of them, a small handgun was sitting inside. "Must've been Katjaa's." She mused as she checked the bullets. "It's fully loaded, too. This is perfect."

As she fiddled with the gun, Lee noticed her wrists were ringed with deep red marks. _From the handcuffs_ , he realized. "How did you manage to get yourself free back there?" He asked, still staring at the scarlet abrasions that marred her white skin.

Lilly paused, noticing his gaze on her scrapes. "I'm pretty experienced with handcuffs." She replied simply, her tone purposely neutral. Lee lifted his eyes to study her face, trying to gauge if she was joking or serious. She stared him down, her dark eyes revealing nothing.

"...Uh, okay." He waved a hand dismissively. "Forget I asked."

She combed her fingers through her tousled hair, striding past him with a quiet confidence. "Come on, let's go." He followed dumbly, still unsure what to make of her comment.

Lilly Caul was a strange woman indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

The car was unlocked, abandoned haphazardly on the shoulder of the road. As Lilly yanked open one of the doors, the nauseating scent of death hit the survivors hard. "Get back." Lilly hissed, raising an arm to block Lee from stepping closer. She peered through the rear windows, pistol raised.

On the backseat sat a medium-sized pet carrier. Lee sighed, the little carrier serving as a reminder of former normalcy. "Do you think that's where that smell is coming from?"

Hesitantly, Lilly leaned across the seat to pick the cage up by its handle. The musty odor grew stronger as she lifted it to eye level. The two survivors peered inside to find the decaying remains of a house cat festering within. "Oh, god." Lilly tossed the carrier back onto the seat, her hand moving to cover her mouth in disgust.

Lee shook his head sadly. "They must've been trying to bring the cat along, too." He wondered what could have happened to these survivors so suddenly that they couldn't let their cat out. _Maybe the car broke down and they stepped out to take a look._ Obviously, something must have gotten them.

"Holy shit." Lilly's utterance returned his attention to the situation at hand. From under the passenger seat gleamed a first aid kit. "They still had supplies on them." Turning to Lee, her calculating gaze told him she was hatching a plan. "Find a button or something to open the trunk. I'm going to raid the interior."

Lee explored the area around the steering wheel, looking for a way to open the trunk. Lilly climbed into the back seat, exploring every inch of the vehicle. Eventually, she heard the trunk pop open. "Good job." She called out, still feeling around under the seats.

The trunk didn't have much in it, Lee discovered. There were, however, a few boxes half-filled with canned food, a flashlight, and some rolled-up blankets. Lee collected all of it, carrying the armload to the RV.

Lilly glanced up from her search, nodding approvingly at Lee's haul. She hadn't been as successful, finding only a gallon jug of water with the first aid kit. Still, they returned to the RV with uplifted spirits – these supplies would definitely help them through the coming winter.

Once inside, Clementine hopped up to meet them at the door. "Did everything go okay?" She asked Lee, concern visible in her eyes. "I was worried something might try to hurt you."

"We're just fine, sweet pea." Lee smiled at her as he set down the boxes of supplies. "We found some stuff that's gonna help us."

Lilly appeared beside him, adding her finds to the pile. Now that it was only the three of them, the food and water would last much longer.

"Those people weren't coming back...right?" Clementine asked quietly.

Lee knew she was trying to justify their act. "I don't think so." He replied honestly. "This stuff hasn't been touched for months."

Clementine lowered her eyes, processing his response in silence.

"Uh, Lee?" Lilly's nagging tone interrupted his thoughts. He glanced over to find her unfurling the rolled-up blankets. "There are only two."

One of the blankets was a small, child-sized one. The other was adult-sized, made from now-worn-out fleece.

"Oh, a blanket!" Clementine exclaimed, reaching for the smaller one. "This is perfect, I was getting really cold."

Lilly handed her the throw, still staring at Lee. "So...now there's one." She said flatly.

Lee held his hands out submissively. "You take it, I don't need it."

Lilly rested a hand on her hip, brows furrowed into a stubborn and familiar scowl. "No way. I'll be fine without it. You need to keep yourself healthy, for her." Her last sentence was punctuated by a curt nod toward Clementine.

"You guys need to learn to share." Clem piped up, glancing solemnly between the two adults.

"...Share?" They both repeated, exchanging looks. Lilly shifted her weight, not sure how to respond further. Lee kept his eyes averted, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Clementine frowned, casting them each a stubborn glare. "If you don't, one of you will be cold. And then you'll get sick."

Lee exhaled. "...I don't know," he shrugged at the woman beside him, "What do you think?"

Lilly folded her arms over her chest, studying the blanket. It was certainly big enough for the two of them to share comfortably. But the thought made her nervous. "It's gonna be really fucking cold once the sun goes down." She muttered. "So I guess we don't have much choice."

After the blanket situation was taken care of, Lilly hopped back into the driver's seat to continue on their journey. The first few miles passed by silently, Lilly watching the road and Lee lost in his thoughts. The woman found herself yawning, remembering she hadn't slept at all the night before.

Eventually they passed a highway sign that read "Robins Air Force Base: 5 Miles", with an arrow pointing up and to the right. "We're coming up on the base." Lilly announced. "It's not far from here."

Lee cocked an eyebrow. "I thought the Motor Inn was first?"

"The Inn's not far from my base. A few miles, at most. We'll hit it after."

"All right. You're the boss." He responded lightheartedly.

Lilly ran a hand down the side of her gaunt face in exasperation. "Yeah, not by my choice." She mumbled as her tired eyes remained focused on the exit up ahead.

"Well, maybe we should change the system." Lee decided to test her sense of humor. "Instead of the dictatorship we have now, we could establish a democracy. Or at least an oligarchy, since there are so few of us that we probably wouldn't need a formal voting system." His inner history buff began to show through as he prepared to rattle off a litany of terms and examples.

Lilly cut him off before he could launch. "Are you calling me a dictator?"

"Well, technically you are. You make decisions for a group of people and your word becomes law." He laughed.

"Fuck you, I'm not a fucking dictator." She protested.

Lee gave up. "Some sense of humor you have."

"Hey, I have a great sense of humor." She slid her gaze briefly over to him. "You're just not funny."

He opened his mouth to shoot back an insult, but then realized that a tiny smile had formed on Lilly's lips. _Wait..._ He realized. _Is this how Lilly jokes?_

"I'm offended." He replied, testing his theory.

"Good." She shot back. "Cry about it."

"...You're teasing me, aren't you?" He asked in disbelief.

She kept her gaze pointed straight ahead. "I _am_ a bit of a dictator." She replied, her amused smile growing.

Holy shit. He just got Lilly Caul to joke around with him. "You're _something_ , that's for sure."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She replied calmly.

The more time he spent with her one-on-one like this, the more Lee realized that Lilly wasn't always the hard-nosed bitch everyone thought she was. Of course, she could be at times – and seemed proud of it. But, apparently, when she felt comfortable enough, she let her human side filter through. It was tough and leathery, but there was a layer of uncertainty mixed in that made her intriguing. She talked a big game, but when it came down to it, she was just as scared as he was about everything happening around them. Her confidence was what had drawn him to her at the beginning, yet it was the exact opposite – her awkwardness and self-doubt – that made him want to stick around, continuing to travel with and get to know her. And he was learning new things about her already.

The RV turned onto the exit for Robins Base. The highway had been disturbingly empty for most of the trip, creating an uneasy atmosphere around the survivors. The walkers seemed mostly to stay in the forests, probably to eat the woodland animals. They had passed a few stragglers (as well as the remains of Doug, which Lilly purposely sped up to pass) and about a dozen scrapped vehicles, but not a single living human.

Lilly wondered how many were even left.

Sunset began to darken the horizon. Lilly pressed on, trying to make good time and hopefully get near the base before dark. Beside her, Lee began to nod off – understandable, since none of them had slept much the night before. Lilly hadn't gotten any sleep at all, having been tied up and handcuffed to her seat. She had been running on adrenaline earlier, but now she was starting to feel worn out as well.

The sky fell to darkness shortly after Robins appeared in the distance. Lilly felt her eyelids growing heavy as she fought to stay awake behind the wheel, determined to get her fledgling group to safety. Suddenly, she slammed on the brakes as a shadowy figure jumped out in front of the vehicle and then disappeared. Lee jerked awake, immediately on high alert. "What's going on?" He asked, disoriented from the sudden wake-up.

Lilly studied the empty road in disbelief. "I-I swear I saw something." She whispered, her voice hoarse and hollow.

"Maybe we should stop for the night." He suggested gently, now aware that she shouldn't have been driving on no sleep. "We're both exhausted and it's almost dark out."

Lilly's sleep-heavy eyes lifted to his. "But we need a safe place to...to..." She trailed off as her eyes started to close. Shaking herself awake, she snapped back to attention – only to doze off again.

Lee watched her slump in her seat as her tired, starved body gave out on her. She hadn't slept in at least 48 hours, possibly more.

After a moment's hesitation, Lee rose out of his seat and stood over her. Then, with the utmost care, he reached down and gently scooped her up. She felt surprisingly light in his arms, like a sleeping child. Her long brown hair hung in tousled locks across her neck and shoulders, her pale flesh sharply contrasting his. But, though her body may have looked it, her face was anything but child-like – stress had aged her far beyond her years. Lee found himself wondering what kind of miseries she had lived through before the world went to hell.

He carried her into the back of the vehicle, lying her down gently on the worn carpet. "Hey," she mumbled as he began to walk back to the driving area. He turned to find her watching him, partially asleep. "Come back." Her voice was small, her gaze unfocused but intent.

"I'm coming right back. I just need to park the RV somewhere safe."

She grumbled and turned over. Lee glanced about for the blanket, finding it right where he'd left it. Clem's was gone, and he realized the girl was sleeping on one of the bench seats beside a table. He whispered a goodnight to her, stroking her hair lightly before bringing the other blanket to Lilly. There he draped it over her softly – she snatched it away and burrowed herself underneath.

Lee then returned to the front of the vehicle, shifting it out of park and rolling it gently forward. The base's front gate was wide open, so he proceeded cautiously through. Deciding it was as safe as they were going to get, he parked against the wall of the main building – close enough to prevent outside entrance into the RV. He locked up everything tight, hoping for the best.

Lilly's sleep, he noticed, was fitful. She tossed and growled and seemed to be fighting off imaginary foes of some kind. He considered simply forgoing the blanket, but knew that wouldn't be smart or practical. So reluctantly, he tugged part of the blanket over to himself as he laid down a few feet away from the other survivor.

Lilly shivered, her emaciated body providing no insulation from the cold. Although he was tired, Lee couldn't sleep, and her convulsions didn't help. Truthfully, he was freezing as well. The blanket was threadbare, and the cold night air was quickly seeping into his bones. _We're gonna freeze like this._

There was only one thing he could think to do. _Hope she doesn't slap me for this..._ He shuffled a bit closer to the woman beside him, trying to share some body heat. It felt awkward and strange, but they didn't have a whole lot of options.

Upon feeling his presence so close to her, Lilly stirred. She startled at their proximity, glancing about in confusion. "Sorry," he whispered abashedly, "I was just fucking freezing and..." He realized she was giving him the same vacant stare as before. "...Jesus, do you always do this when you're sleeping?" He'd heard of sleepwalking and sleeptalking, but this, sleep _staring_ , was just fucking odd.

"You're warm." She murmured, moving toward him. "Stay close to me." Her words were forceful, a demand rather than a suggestion. _Even in her dreams she's bossy._ He realized with a small, amused smile.

To his surprise, she pulled him closer to her, wrapping his arm in a death grip with her own. She nestled against him, basking in the heat they shared. Not sure how to react, Lee decided to go along with her. After all, the warmth was greatly appreciated, and this wasn't the worst way to spend a night.


	3. Chapter 3

Lilly's dreams were plagued with flesh-eating monsters and sad memories. The soft voice of her long-deceased mother wrapped itself around her, trying to shelter her from the evils this world had exposed her to. _I need you, Mom. Why'd you have to leave so soon?_

The nightmares eventually jolted her awake. She stared up into the endless darkness surrounding her, listening to Lee's rhythmic breathing as he slept beside her. In the distance, the faint sound of snarling told her there were walkers prowling the grounds.

Truthfully, they didn't frighten her nearly as much as the hopeless feeling that had begun to set in after her father's death. Abusive as he could be, he was the last bit of family she'd had to hold onto. His death had sent her spiraling, bringing her old anxiety back with a vengeance. She'd started to lose her grip on reality, imagining that everyone was plotting to kill her. The only adult she had trusted throughout the past few months was the man whose company she now kept. The person sharing a blanket with her, the one who up and left everything he had to travel with her.

He had always been loyal to her, giving her his support when she desperately needed it. And that was why she'd been determined not to lose him.

Lilly rolled over, noticing how stiff her back was. _The result of sleeping on a fucking floor,_ she thought with a groan. She realized her arm was still linked with Lee's, and had gone numb sometime during the night. Gingerly she pulled away, a bit embarrassed.

 _I can't believe I almost left him behind._ The brunette closed her eyes, trying to fall back to sleep. She had been so afraid of what he might think of her that she almost went on without him. She remembered watching him go get Clementine, so trusting that she would wait for him. She was scared then, fearing he might have been going to tell Kenny her plan, or that he would change his mind and decide against leaving with her. After all, she reasoned, who would want to travel with someone who just committed a murder? And then, of course, she had blurted out Lee's secret to the group, as if that somehow made her decision any better. After he had trusted me with his past...

Amazingly, he didn't seem to hate her or think her a monster for what she did. When he had pushed her against the RV after Doug's murder, she saw not loathing in his eyes, but hurt. Betrayal. Genuine confusion. When he'd uttered those words – " _Why, Lilly?_ " - her heart had broken.

Maybe because he was guilty of the same act, he was able to somehow forgive her. Whatever the reason, he was a better person than she could ever hope to be.

They both had regrets. They both did stupid, stubborn things that were completely uncalled for. And when she'd asked him, on a whim, to leave the group with her, she learned that they were both also searching for a real purpose.

In that moment, Lilly felt emotions she hadn't experienced since the Turn began – feelings of belonging. Of hope. Of contentment, even in the midst of an apocalyptic disaster. Wherever she was in life, if she was with these two companions of hers, it felt like the best place she could possibly be.

Lifted out of her nightmare doldrums, she drifted to sleep almost peacefully. _This world may be Hell, but at least I've got good company._

/ / / / /

"Lilly? Are you awake?"

A small voice permeated her sleep, rousing her. Rubbing an eyes groggily, she realized the voice belonged to Clementine. The girl was standing over her, youthful energy radiating outward.

As she sat up, Lilly noticed Lee was gone. "Morning, sweetie." She said to Clem, stifling a yawn. "Where's Lee?"

Clementine shifted back and forth uncomfortably. "I don't know." She replied quietly.

Lilly immediately grew suspicious, feeling like she was being lied to. "Wha do you mean you don't know?" Her fierce brown eyes studied the girl. All the while, fear welled up inside her. Had she done something to upset him?

Under Lilly's scrutinizing gaze, Clem came clean. "He went to look around the base." She confessed. "He told me that you needed your sleep and that he would be okay by himself."

Lilly was on her feet in a matter of seconds. "Damn it, that stubborn a-" Aware of the little girl she was talking to, she censored herself. "How long has he been gone?"

The girl frowned. "That's why I woke you up. He's been gone a _really_ long time."

Lilly's voice caught in her throat, choking off any response she could've formulated. Why did he have to go off all alone? Why couldn't he have just woken her up? The paranoia she struggled with gripped her as she was overcome with worry.

Grabbing her pistol from the glove compartment, Lilly inhaled deeply. "Stay here, Clementine." She told the girl, trying to remain outwardly calm. "I'll go look for him."

"I want to go, too." Clem declared, taking Lilly by surprise. "I can get into little places and I can help look out for bad guys."

Hesitation halted the woman. It was dangerous as hell, but could she really refuse her? Lilly knew Clementine loved Lee like a father, and she would never want someone coming between _her_ and _her_ father.

"Fine, but stick close to me. I don't want you getting hurt."

Clementine nodded solemnly. The girl followed Lilly out of the RV, keeping watch as Lilly locked it up. " _Stay. Close._ " The brunette whispered forcefully.

Robins Base was completely destroyed. This had been the place she'd first spotted a walker, outside her office window. By the time she'd decided she should leave, the base had already been overrun. People she knew, airmen she saw every day, were devoured in front of her. She remembered hopping in her beat-up red F-150, stepping on the gas and not stopping until she was home. She ran red lights, cut people off – nothing got in her way. Returning home and finding her father safe was the greatest relief she could've hoped for.

As she looked upon the base now, those memories flooded back to her. She struggled to remain focused on the present, surrounded by the remnants of her past. Clementine's soft steps behind her finally snapped the woman back to attention. "We should check the grounds first, then the buildings." She said, as if Clementine had planned to do something else.

As they wandered through the military wasteland, Lilly began to hear noises. Rustling sounds, footsteps on hard surface, hushed whispers. Clementine didn't seem to notice any of them, and Lilly wrestled with the very real possibility that she was imagining the sounds. Not wanting to alarm Clem without reason, she didn't ask or push the subject at all.

The two of them passed a large, crumbling structure – the old mess hall. There, all the base's workers would convene for their meals. It was from that building that the sounds she'd noticed rang out. Someone was in there.

Lilly ducked beneath one of the boarded-up windows, looking for a hole to peer through. Unfortunately, it was sealed up tight – there wasn't a single space to look in.

Behind her, a few dead leaves crunched. "Shh." She hissed, "We can't risk being overheard."

"No, you wouldn't want that." A voice with a thick Southern accent called out. Lilly spun on her heel, anticipating too late the man behind her. Thick, muscular arms grabbed her, pinning her hands behind her back. Her pistol bounced to the ground, well out of reach.

"Clementine, run!" Lilly screamed as she struggled to fight off her attacker. Wordlessly, Clementine fled out of sight. A swift kick to the gut rendered the man temporarily incapacitated – giving Lilly just enough time to crawl over to her gun.

As she aimed the pistol at her attacker's head, another sound alerted her. A dense footstep resonated on the concrete as a heavy, blunt force connected with her skull. Lilly staggered backward, her vision blurring as she collapsed to the ground. As the world darkened around her, she made out the fuzzy silhouettes of two bandits. They said something she couldn't make out, and then the smaller one brought his baseball bat down on her head again.


	4. Chapter 4

Lilly awoke some time later, bound to a cold metal chair. As she looked around the dim and sparsely-adorned room, she realized it was one of the offices she used to frequent. Now, blood stains covered the white stucco walls, the iron smell still hanging in the air.

The blood was fresh.

She arched her back, trying to work loose the ropes confining her – to no avail. She was bound tightly and firmly with thick rope. Her head ached as she twisted to examine the knots holding her down. _Shit, these are professional grade._

A creaking sound by the doorway alerted her. The door swung open, and three men stalked into the room. Through the filtered rays of sunlight beaming in the reinforced windows, she could vaguely make out their faces. She didn't recognize any of them, but the biggest one was the man who had initially attacked her outside. They were all heavily armed, and Lilly realized she had no idea where her pistol was. Her pockets felt completely empty.

"So," The big man began, approaching Lilly with a menacing cockiness. "What were you and your little group doing sneaking around our turf?" He leaned in close to her. "Thinkin' of _robbing_ us?"

Lilly scowled up at him. "I know this place better than you do, assholes. I used to work here."

"Ooh, feisty." Another man stepped closer to her, a devilish grin on his face. "Let's get her worked up."

Lilly bit back more swears. _I'll only be giving them what they want._ She knew she was easily incited, and she didn't want to give the scumbags any more of a reaction than she already had.

When she hesitated to respond, the lead bandit wrapped a thick hand around her throat, forcing her chin up. "Now why don't you tell us where you're camped? That way you can repay us for trespassing on our grounds." He smirked as he tightened his grip on her fragile neck. "We'll make a deal."

Gasping and sputtering, Lilly attempted to struggle free. The men laughed, tossing ideas back and forth about what to do with her. _No…_ She told herself. _I've come too far to die like this. This is just fucking stupid._

Eventually the man eased his grip. Lilly sucked in a painful breath, the color slowly returning to her face. "So, how are you gonna repay us?" The lead bandit reiterated with a grin. "Cause if you don't wanna cooperate with us, we can convince you."

Her body trembled as she fought desperately to worm her way out of the chair. It was pointless – the ropes were thoroughly tied. She could escape from handcuffs and was no stranger to being tied up, but in her current state – still woozy from the blows to her head – she couldn't think clearly enough to work herself out of the knots. She was out of options.

_I have to protect them…Lee, Clementine…_

_Maybe if they get what they want from me, they'll leave you two alone…_

The proud woman lowered her head in submission, eyes to the floor. "Do what you want with me." She mumbled, trying to conceal her shaking fear. "And then let my group go."

This got quite a rise out of the bandits. "Well, y'know," The smallest one, a scrawny Hispanic man, piped up, "We _should_ be doin' our part to _continue the species…_ "

The big man nodded, a sick grin forming on his weathered face. "That's what I was thinkin'. How about we all have a turn? I'll start, a'course." He added with a laugh.

Lilly said nothing, remaining externally stoic while her insides churned and threatened to collapse on her. _If there's even a chance they'll let them go, I have to take it._ She swallowed hard, pushing her fear down inside. _I'm the leader – they're counting on me._

The boss pulled a knife from his back pocket, slitting the ropes holding Lilly. He wrestled her arms behind her back, pushing her against the nearest wall. She silently complied, eyes dull as she retreated into herself. Her thoughts drifted to Lee as she wondered if he was safe. And then to Clementine. Poor, sweet Clementine. _If they so much as **try** to hurt either of you, I'll fuck them up beyond repair._ She closed her eyes, willing away tears as she felt the man's cold, strange hands tug off her clothes.

She was in no position to be making threats, and deep down she knew that.

The three men in the room with her were armed to the teeth. Even if she managed to take down the one holding her, she'd be dead before she made it out the door. The two bandits in the background both had guns pointed straight at her, ready to take her head off if she resisted or ran. There was no escape in sight for her – she had to suppress her fighting spirit if she wanted to live.

"Don't worry babe," The man purred, pulling off Lilly's undershirt. "I'll be gentle."

His words were punctuated by a hoarse laugh.

Lilly pressed herself against the wall, tears escaping her tightly-closed eyes. Her hands balled into fists as he lifted her chin with his grimy finger. "Hey, what're you cryin' for?" He asked sarcastically, laying a dirty hand on her face. "That's pretty insulting, y'know."

"Fuck you." She whimpered, choking back a sob. "Just get it over with." A shiver ran through her, the result of her near-nakedness in the cold autumn air.

To her surprise, the man pulled his hand away. Moments later a stinging, backhanded slap sent her reeling. "Shut up, you stupid bitch." He barked, unzipping his torn jeans. "We're just getting started."

Her options exhausted, she decided on a last resort – and soon, a piercing scream echoed through the building. "I said shut up!" The man covered her mouth, forcing her legs apart with his free hand. She twisted and fought, knocking him back just enough to loosen his grasp on her. The smaller bandits raised their weapons, and Lilly intentionally stayed hidden behind the biggest man.

"You think you can do this to me?" She hissed, delivering a swift kick to his exposed genitals. He cried out, and she grabbed him by the shirt, pushing him toward the other bandits. "You fucked with the wrong girl."

"Shoot her!" The bandit cried, reaching for his own gun. "Shoot the crazy bitch!"

The two men opened fire. Lilly ducked nimbly, pulling the bigger man right into the line of fire. Bullets exploded into his flesh as blood began to spurt from his mouth. _This was exactly what I needed._ Lilly bounded over to the small bandits, using the dying man as a shield. _A second to catch them off guard._

The two remaining bandits watched in shock as she grabbed the knife from the dead man's back pocket, darting toward one of them as she jabbed it outward. He fired at her, but the bullets sunk into her human shield, and the knife penetrated his stomach before he could get a clear shot at the woman.

The third bandit, the smallest man, pointed his puny pistol at her, closing his eyes as he pulled the trigger. To the surprise of both of them, an empty click was all that radiated from the gun. "Oh shit." The man whispered. "Oh, god."

Lilly's eyes ignited with rage as she watched the helpless man back away from her. "Please don't kill me." He begged. "I'm just trying to survive, like you." As he moved away, Lilly noticed he was heading for the computer desk, where a glittering knife sat in waiting.

"You're looking for mercy?" She howled in disbelieving rage. "After what you all planned to do to me?" She tossed the body of his friend down in front of him, shedding the unnecessary bulk. "You think being spineless is gonna make me spare you?" She didn't want to kill anyone she didn't have to, but after what he had just been willing to go along with…

The man reached back, grabbing the knife off the table and charging her with it. He slashed at her furiously, missing every stab in his frenzy. She grabbed his arm in mid-air, plunging her knife into his chest. He screamed, collapsing to the ground as blood seeped out of his wound. Lilly released her breath, only then realizing she'd been holding it.

Surrounded by the silence of death, she finally allowed herself to break down. She sank to the floor, sobbing weakly as goose bumps rose across her exposed flesh. _Now matter how much I fight,_ she realized, _now matter how strong or tough I am – I'm still 'just a woman'._ This was her burden, a curse lain on every girl like her who wished to be powerful. In the end, all their effort, all the work they put into earning people's respect – it didn't mean shit. They were all 'just women'.

And they could all be "put in their place".

A stomping sound upstairs caught her attention, bringing her back to the real world. As quickly as she could, Lilly pulled on her dingy clothes, never happier to be wearing the smelly old things. Then she raided the bandits for ammo, pocketing two of their sharpest knives and walking out with a fully-loaded assault rifle.

As she crept down the hall, the sound of gunshots from another room echoed through the building. A doorknob turned slowly, and Lilly raised her gun in anticipation of an attack.

The door swung open, and out stepped a familiar face, drenched in blood. "Lee!" She whispered, relief flooding through her as she ran to greet him. "Are you okay? What's all that blood from?"

Lee smiled at her, his tired eyes stoked with a renewed warmth at the sight of the other survivor. "I'm glad to see you, Lilly. I figured you'd come looking for me." He glanced down at his bloody clothes. "This is just another day, I guess. I got grabbed by some bandits and it ended up getting a little violent." His tone was casual, reflecting the reality of their everyday lives. "I see you got some nice weapons since last time I saw you – where'd you find them?"

Lilly stared up at him, not sure how to begin. "I got into some trouble, too. With the bandits, I mean. I went to look for you and one of them hit me in the head with a baseball bat. Twice."

Lee's eyes widened. "Jesus Christ! Are you all right?" He looked her over, noticing that she didn't look all right at all.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's not me I'm worried about, actually…" She began, her thoughts shifting to Clementine.

"You look like you've been through hell." He remarked. "…No offense."

Lilly averted her eyes. "Yeah, I _feel_ like I've been through hell. But there's something you should know."

Lee waited expectantly, a worried frown etched on his face.

"I have no idea where Clementine is." She whispered, her brow creased with stress. "She was with me when I got attacked. I told her to run, and she did, but – "

Lee's jaw dropped. "You took her with you?"

The woman rubbed her forehead, trying to will the hazy memories to return to her. "I remember she ran away. I couldn't see her anymore. She got away, I think." Taking two major blows to the head wasn't helping her memory any. "As for why I brought her," She closed her eyes in frustration, "I can't remember…"

Lee flew into action, bolting down the hall. "Come on, we need to find her." Lilly followed closely, putting her own traumas behind her.

"We will." She replied with a firm nod.

They descended the stairs of the building as quietly as they could, passing rooms full of noise and chatter. _This place is full of those fuckers._ The thought intimidated Lilly.

As they hurried toward the exit, they found themselves ambushed by yet another troupe of bandits. This bunch consisted of two men and a fearsome-looking woman. "Going somewhere?" The woman laughed, pulling a crossbow on the two of them.

Lee raised his hands, prepared to try to talk her down. "Let's all be rational here; we don't need to see any more viol-"

With a snarl, Lilly lunged at the woman, delivering a punch so forceful it knocked the bandit clean out. The two men drew their weapons, Lee picking off one of them while Lilly tore into the other with her newly-acquired hunting knife. They fell to the floor in heaps, Lilly breathing heavily in their midst.

Lee stared at her in shock. "Damn, guess you inherited your dad's punching skills." Lilly offered him a small, weary smile. He knew comments like that meant a lot to her. And she knew Lee was speaking from experience about Larry's fists – he'd been on the receiving end of them more than once.

They dashed out of the office building as fast as possible, scouring the area outside for Clementine. "Clem?" Lee whispered loudly as they searched the grounds. "Clementine!"

"Lee!" A tiny voice called out. Lee spun around, searching for its source. The little girl poked out from a bush, just outside the fence of the parking lot. "I'm right here." She whispered with a smile.

Lee's relief was palpable. "Stay right there, I'll come get-" Clementine ducked down, crawling through a torn patch of chain links. She hopped up on the other side, provoking Lee to throw his arms around her. "I'm so glad you're safe."

" _I'm_ glad _you're_ safe!" Clementine retorted. "I'm sorry, I should have stayed in the RV. I just wanted to help Lilly find you, though."

Lee smiled at the girl. "It's all right. Thanks for helping, sweet pea." Clementine seemed satisfied with his response, taking his hand and pulling him toward the open gate.

As they walked, Lee noticed Lilly swaying a bit. "Hey, uh…you all right?" He asked her gently.

She cast him one of her usual piercing glares, though this one seemed insincere. "I'm fine." She replied stubbornly. The world felt like it was turning without her, and she was off-balance. _Well, I did get whacked in the head. Twice._

Lee frowned. "You sure? You look like you're gonna fall over."

"I'm fucking _fine_!" She hissed.

Lee had come to realize that Lilly was a lot like a cat – the worse she felt, the more she pretended everything was okay. The only way you could tell something was wrong was by watching for outbursts and an exceptionally bad attitude. At the moment, Lilly was displaying both signs. "…If you say so." He responded, not wanting to push the issue too much. "Where's the RV from here?"

Lilly stumbled, catching herself before Lee could react. "It's over there." She pointed it out breathlessly.

Lee spotted the clunky vehicle in the distance. "Great. C'mon you two, before some other crazy fuckers decide to jump out at us."

Clementine squeezed his hand. "Swear."

"Oh, so _she_ can swear – " He nodded to Lilly – "But I can't?" The two adults shared an amused look, Lilly concealing a small laugh.

Without explanation, they were suddenly bathed in the bright red of the RV's taillights. "What's going on?" Lee demanded, increasing his pace.

Lilly felt around in her pockets, realizing with a sinking stomach just what was happening. "They took the keys while I was out." She mumbled, eyes wide in disbelief.

" _Shit!_ " The vehicle, their only means of transport, pulled away and left them in the dust. "Shit, shit, _shit_!"

"No," Lilly cried, "I'm not letting this happen!" She turned to Lee. "Give me your pistol, quick!" Uncertainly, he handed it over. She took aim at one of the back tires. Just as she was about to fire, a wave of vertigo washed over her, preventing her from making an accurate shot. The RV disappeared from view, full of bandits and their freshly-stolen supplies.

"No!" Clementine yelled. "That was ours!"

The noise of the vehicle combined with the echo of their voices began to draw unwanted attention from both bandits and walkers. Lee picked up Clementine, running for the front gate as bandits poured out of the base's abandoned buildings. Lilly ran alongside him, willing her vision to remain clear and unclouded.

Eventually they escaped Robins, out into the open woods. The bandits fell back, retreating into the base as they closed the massive gate behind the survivors. Walkers began to pour out of the thickets, growling and slashing as they shuffled after the group. With no vehicle and no protection, their only option was to just keep running.


	5. Chapter 5

"You know we're fucked, right?"

The three survivors wandered down the open road, fully aware that a group of walkers was slowly catching up behind them.

Lee shushed the woman, not wanting her to frighten Clementine. "Don't say that."

Lilly opened her mouth to say something, then decided against it. Returning her gaze to the road ahead, they continued on in silence.

By that time, the sun was high in the clear Georgia skyline, meaning it was probably mid-afternoon. Lilly wondered how long she had been unconscious earlier – it had been barely light out when they went prowling around Robins. The thought of being vulnerable for that long scared the hell out of her.

 _I put Clementine in danger. I could've gotten an innocent girl killed because I couldn't say no to her._ She prided herself on her capability and wits as a leader, but in that moment she had failed both herself and the people who were dependent upon her. _I'm not fit to lead a group. I'm not even fit to lead myself._

She glanced up at the man beside her. He was able to take care of a kid even in the midst of a crisis. He had always been the glue that held the group together, especially when Kenny started to pull his shit. He'd been knocked down and out by her father, and yet was still cordial to him, right up to trying to help Lilly revive him at the dairy.

She admired Lee more than she'd ever admit.

Lee pretended not to notice Lilly staring at him. She was a complete enigma – forceful and dominant, yet endearing and loveable. Perhaps her boldness was the element that made her appealing. Or, perhaps, it was that boldness combined with her underlying self-doubt. Even though she wasn't sure she could handle the job, she stepped up to lead when no one else would. She performed the tasks no one wanted to do, the jobs that made people hate her. She continued to lead fairly even after she'd lost her only remaining ally and family member.

Truthfully, he'd always maintained a high level of respect for Lilly.

Walkers continued to appear from out of the trees and bushes, joining the macabre parade that the survivors seemed to be leading. Lilly knew that civilization lay just ahead, if they could make it down the long road Robins was situated on. If they could just keep up their current pace, they definitely stood a chance of making it.

As they traveled on, Clementine inexplicably wedged herself between the two adults. She clutched Lee's hand, Lilly watching wordlessly as the girl held tight to him. Then, to the woman's surprise, Clementine also took her hand. Little, warm fingers wrapped around Lilly's long, bony ones, ice cold and sweaty from nerves. For a while they walked like that, the three of them linked together.

And then Lilly realized that Clem's hand felt bigger and rougher.

She glanced down, her heart rate increasing as she realized Clementine had linked her hand with Lee's. The girl was lingering about a yard behind them.

Lee met Lilly's gaze as she blinked at him in embarassment, both of them now quite aware of Clementine's antics. They hesitated in the street, fingers still woven together. Behind them, Clementine grinned mischieviously.

The adults stared at one another for a few long seconds. Lilly felt herself blush - hating herself for doing so. Despite their current surroundings, Lee found himself almost smiling, continually amazed by the unpredictable way Lilly reacted to things. He would've expected swearing and possible violence – never in a thousand years did he expect to see Lilly Caul blush.

"Well, this is one way to keep up morale." The woman mumbled, swallowing hard and trying to keep her mind on survival. Neither of them made an effort to pull away. Instead, they decided to continue on in that way, their hands securely joined. The gesture was small, but it made a world of difference to Lilly. She no longer felt so alone and hopeless.

Clementine reappeared beside Lee, still smiling. They were making good time then, and Lilly considered that they might actually make it into town. The walkers were slow, and some of them even seemed to be losing interest in chasing them. With her cold hand enveloped in the consoling warmth of Lee's, Lilly was feeling unusually optimistic.

Of course, her other hand was clutching the handle of an assault rifle, so that helped to keep her focused on the danger they were fleeing.

Up ahead, they spotted buildings. "Perfect, we're near Warner Robins." Lilly picked up her pace a bit more – avoiding running, to keep further walker attention off of them. The group hurried into the embrace of the city, eager to find an opportunity for shelter.

"Oh no." Clementine exclaimed, scaring the two adults.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Lily asked nervously.

Clementine lowered her head. "I just remembered my walkie-talkie was in the RV." Her tone was laden with sadness.

"Oh." Lilly tried to hide her relief that it wasn't something worse. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She sighed. "At least I had it this long."

They came across a seemingly-abandoned apartment building, still boarded-up and protected. Hearing the walkers slowly creeping up on them, Lilly ushered the group toward the entrance. "Push your way in. We've got to find shelter somewhere."

When the two adults let go of one another's hands, their world crashed back down into bitter reality. Lilly shouldered the front door open, knocking aside the interior furniture that had been blocking it. They slipped inside, re-barricading the entrance once they were in.

"Hello?" Lee called up the dusty staircase at the other end of the room. "Is anyone here?"

No response.

"Great, we can regroup here until we come up with a new plan."

Lee nodded to the elevator's button pad. "At least we'll have plenty of space." The pad had four different levels labeled on it. "We should probably head for higher ground."

"Yeah, but not too high. We don't want to get ourselves trapped." Lilly folded her arms, looking up the stairs. "I'd say second floor would be the best choice."

Outside, walkers snarled and clawed at the door. "Get down." Lee whispered. They dropped to all fours, ducking from view. Eventually, the majority of the walkers moved on, pursuing their relentless hunger for flesh.

As they kneeled beneath the window, Lee noticed Lilly's hand partially covering his on the dusty carpet. He glanced up at her. The woman's eyes were filled with something he had never seen in her before – was it warmth? Affection? Hope? Whatever it was, it held a child-like quality that he found quite endearing.

Lilly Caul was angry, bull-headed, and vulgar – but when she wasn't rampaging and swearing, she seemed like an entirely different person. Naive and affectionate. Caring and concerned. Unsure but optimistic. Although she acted like nothing bothered her, he could see that something had really shaken her up at the Air Force base. She was still playing the role of leader, but there was a difference in the way she carried herself – defensively, as if she expected to be attacked at any moment. He knew she'd never tell him exactly what she'd gone through, so the most he could do was offer his support and hope she accepted it.

He wished he could comfort her better.

Once the major walker threat was alleviated, the trio began investigating the building. The place was cleaned out – nothing but empty food cans and burnt-out matches littering the floor. Lilly checked the rooms of the ground floor one by one, her rifle aimed cautiously through each doorway. Lee checked the second floor, Clementine staying close to him.

"Doesn't seem like there's anyone in here." He comfirmed, shutting the last door behind him. "We should check the upper floors, too."

"Okay." Clementine nodded. "Let's go."

As they climbed the stairs, Lee decided to bring up her earlier antics. "Hey Clem," He began in a gentle tone, "How come you did what you did back there on the road? With me and Lilly?"

Clementine's eyes lit up. "Because you guys like each other, don't you?" She replied with an enthusiastic smile.

"Like each other?" Lee felt himself grow warm with embarassment. "What makes you think that?"

Clementine looked up at him, adopting a more serious expression. "You guys act like how my parents used to. And they liked each other."

Lee paused on a step, turning his gaze to the girl. "That so?" He asked, an amused smile forming. Clementine's words were so childish, so innocent.

"Yeah." She responded, nodding. "I think they even _like-liked_ each other."

Lee laughed. "No way."

"I think they did! They even said that, once. On Valentine's Day." She wrinkled her nose. "I think it's gross though. I don't ever want to like-like a boy."

"I thought you 'like-liked' Duck." Lee teased, his voice rich with amusement.

Clementine's eyes went wide. "No I don't!" She exclaimed, her cheeks pink. Then, after a moment's silence, she added, "...Who told you?"

Lee didn't respond, simply chuckling instead. Clementine scowled at him. "That's not funny, okay? _Don't tell anyone._ "

"I won't, I won't." He promised.

Clementine folded her arms. "So, do you like-like Lilly?" She persisted.

Lee hesitated, not sure what to say. Clementine watched him expectantly, obviously waiting for a response. Finally, he let out a tense breath. "I was gonna talk to her about it once we knew this place was safe." Truthfully, he was a bit afraid – he knew Lilly was untameable, like a wildfire. He had never known a woman like her before, much less been romantically involved with one. But he couldn't deny the growing attraction between the two of them, either.

Clementine nodded. "You should. Because I think she likes you too."

"Lee?" A voice called from downstairs. "Did you check the second floor?"

"Yeah. Looks secure." He leaned over the railing to project his voice downward. "I'm heading upstairs now, to look there."

Footsteps echoed from below, and soon Lilly was at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm coming with you." She declared as she climbed the steps to his level. "We don't know what the hell's up there."

Clementine turned away. "I'm gonna stay downstairs and make sure nothing bad gets in." She skipped down the steps, passing Lilly on the way. She turned to glance at Lee before disappearing to the ground floor.

Lee knew what she was doing – but he didn't know why. Was Clementine pushing them together because they reminded her of her parents? Maybe she thought they'd make a good temporary-replacement family while hers was out of the picture.

"So, there are two more floors to check out." Lilly's shrill voice brought him back to the present. "It'll be riskier, but if we split up we can have the place searched in probably ten minutes." Her hunting knife was clutched and at the ready. "I'll take the fourth floor, you take this one."

His eyes flicked down to her weapons, then lifted to meet her intense gaze. "Sure, that sounds fine." He said after a brief silence. "But after we're done searching, Lilly, I need to talk to you."

A flash of worry crossed her exhausted face. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no." Lee quickly reassured her. "Not at all. It's just something I've been meaning to tell you."

Lilly said nothing, but he could tell he'd piqued her interest. Before they parted ways on the stairs, she studied him thoroughly. Curious eyes searched his face for a clue, a hint as to what he deemed so important in the middle of a crisis. He yielded nothing, and so she continued to the fourth floor in silence.

The third level was identical to the second – rows of doors down a long, dirty hallway. One by one he pushed them open, pistol at the ready. They were all completely empty, leaving Lee to wonder what became of the people who had boarded the place up.

He made it to the far end of the hall without issue. But, before he reached for one of the last doors, something stopped him. Sounds echoed from inside the room. _Oh fuck, hope there aren't more bandits here..._

Gun pointed, Lee jerked the doorknob, forcing the door open as quickly as he could. To his horror, he noticed that the walls, bed, and carpet inside the room were soaked with blood. About a dozen walkers lurched toward him, their frail bodies hardly able to walk.

There weren't enough bullets in his gun to take them all out, so Lee decided to improvise. Beneath a window in the room sat a bloody handaxe, discarded and useless to the brain-dead creatures surrounding it. After taking out the few closest to him with his pistol, he managed to fight his way to the axe. With it, he finished off the remaining monsters, cleaving his way into their rotted brains and spewing black bile everywhere. As they fell around him, he noticed their still-very-human faces, forever twisted with terror.

 _Whatever happened here, it was something horrible._ He wondered if perhaps the survivors had holed up in this one room, only to have one of them die, turn, and devour the rest of the group.

_That could've been us, back at the Dairy._

He shook his head at the bleak memory. He knew that Kenny smashing her father's head had essentially destroyed Lilly's fraying sanity, but there wasn't much they could've done. Lee had tried to revive him, to no avail. In the end, Kenny had done the assholish, but probably smartest thing by finishing Larry off before he turned.

Once the walkers were dealt with and the final rooms were checked, he decided to meet Lilly upstairs. He found her standing at the farthest end of the hallway, staring out a filthy, cobwebbed window. "Lilly?" He called out unsurely to the woman. "Did you check the rooms?"

She didn't respond.

Concerned, Lee approached her slowly. "Lilly? Did you hear me?"

As he neared her, she turned to him. Her lips were curled into a tiny smile. "Lee," She whispered, "I need you to come see this."

He walked over to the window, gazing out at the city streets it revealed. Lilly pointed to one street in particular, causing Lee's eyes to widen. " _Holy shit._ "

There, amidst the wreckage of buildings, bodies, and broken parts, sat an undisturbed army tank. Lee remembered the military airplanes he'd spotted during his pharmacy runs for the Motor Inn group – they had all crashed and were completely destroyed. This one, other than being covered in blood and jammed partway into a building, appeared almost pristine.

"Fuck an RV," Lilly squealed in excitement, "We could blast our way out of Georgia with that thing."

Lee scratched his chin, still staring out at the war machine. "Yeah, but you wouldn't happen to know how to drive a tank, would you?"

Her smile grew. "Well, my dad _was_ an army man. He taught me all about tanks and stuff when I was younger." She paused, massaging the back of her neck in embarrassment. "Of course, I never _actually_ drove one...but I studied them all the time as a kid, to feel closer to him while he was away on tours."

Lee balked. "So you might be able to get that thing moving?"

She nodded, eyes alight with her familiar, stubborn fire. "Although it's going to be tough as shit getting there – the streets are crawling with walkers."

"Yeah, that's probably why no one else has taken it yet." If there was even anyone left in the city, he thought with a touch of sadness.

Lilly straightened her back, rising to her full height. "That tank is waiting for _me_ , Lee. I'm gonna do my dad proud and push us across the border with that fucker. No one'll be able to stop us – we'll be out of Georgia and on our way to somewhere better."

Lee couldn't help but share in her excitement. True, they had no idea if the tank was even operative, but the renewed feeling of hope it gave them was enough for now.

At that moment, Lilly remembered Lee's earlier request to talk to her. "Oh, by the way," She spoke up, "What did you want to tell me?"

The proper words seemed to elude him then. In the wake of their discovery, he didn't know how to word something so complicated and serious. Lilly seemed to pick up on his hesitation, and the look in his eyes told her just what he was getting at. "Lee...?" She mumbled, feeling herself start to blush again. "What are you trying to- "

He laid his hands gingerly on her thin waist, pulling her just slightly closer. Her blush deepened as she realized what was happening. Her lips curled upward as she sank into his soft embrace, four months' worth of burdens eased from her tired shoulders. She inclined her head, wrapping her arms around his neck as their lips met in a gentle caress.

Lilly closed her eyes, willing away all the world's horrors to revel in this one, sweet moment. A shudder coursed through her as Lee's warm hands ran slowly up and down her back. His kiss was sweet and tender, something she was entirely unaccustomed to. The sensation both thrilled and relaxed her, a combination she found strangely compelling.

When at last their lips parted, Lilly felt woozy and lovestruck. From the look on Lee's face, so did he.

"...You're amazing." She whispered breathlessly, still held in his arms. With only a single kiss, he had managed to lift the stress she'd suffered alone for months.

Lee reached for a lock of her long brown hair, brushing it aside to better gaze upon her face. "I'm nothing compared to you." He whispered. "You've been through so much, and you're still so strong – I don't know how you do it."

She blinked slowly, trying to formulate a coherent response while still intoxicated by his kiss. "I'm not really that strong." She finally said. "I wish I was."

He knew the feeling. "I think we all wish we were stronger in times like these."

She rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes briefly. "This helps." She murmured, barely moving her lips.

Eventually, they knew they had to separate. Lee remembered Clementine waiting downstairs for them. "We should go check on Clem." He finally suggested, despite his reluctance to end their moment together. He had never felt such a strong pull toward another person – with her odd ways and her bold persistence, she captivated him.

He might have loved her.

Lilly nodded as she pulled away, equally reluctant. "Right, let's make sure she's safe down there." They exchanged one last, passionate glance before heading downstairs to find Clementine.


	6. Chapter 6

"A tank?" Clementine exclaimed. "That's scary!"

Lilly bent down to the girl's level, trying to reassure her. "It won't be scary, honey. We'll be nice and safe inside."

Clementine lowered her eyes. "Okay, if you say so."

Lee cleared his throat. "Don't forget, Lilly, we still need to get to it and make sure it works."

The woman stood back up, shoulders slightly drooped. "Obviously. I'm just trying to be a little optimistic here."

"That's a nice change." He teased.

She rolled her eyes.

"So how are we gonna get to the tank if it's that far away?" Clementine piped up. "You said you could only see it from the fourth floor window."

The two adults exchanged a glance. "I guess we'll have to fight our way there." Lilly decided with a shrug.

Lee cocked an eyebrow at her. "You know that's insane, right?"

Lilly smirked at him. "I never claimed to be sane."

For the next half-hour, the three of them picked the apartments clean for supplies. They found a few melee weapons, but they were warped and broken. Lilly found some winter clothing, but it was torn and smeared with blood – wearing any of it would've drawn walkers to them in droves. In one room, Clementine discovered a box of unopened saltine crackers and a bottle of spring water that had rolled under a bed and been forgotten about. Excited, she grabbed them and brought them to Lilly.

"This is perfect. Great job, honey." Lilly commended her for her find, and then divided the crackers evenly between the three of them. They quickly devoured the rations, passing the room-temperature water around until it was finished off. "I'm glad it's just the three of us, or we'd never have enough food to satisfy everyone." The stress of doling out rations had been enough to take years off the young woman's life.

Lee nodded, remembering the tension that the rationing process had brought upon the group. Having a larger group was nice for socializing, but when it came to survival, a small band was the best. Just enough people for protection, not enough to create drama.

Clementine frowned. "I still miss Duck though. Ben, too."

Lilly shifted, knowing she had wronged the girl by taking her from her friends. But the only other option would have been to leave her behind, and neither Lilly nor Lee wanted that.

"I know you do." Lee sympathized. "But we had to split up. Things were getting bad there. Toxic."

Lilly wrung her hands uncomfortably, wishing they'd change the subject. She didn't like to think about how shitty things had become. The way everyone had started to turn on her. The way she had fucked things up beyond repair.

It all made her feel nauseous.

Noticing her unease, Lee reached over and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. She tensed, but didn't shrug him off. Clementine watched the tender exchange silently, her clever mind quite aware of the real reasons they'd split off from the others. She had witnessed Lilly's breakdown and the subsequent murder of Doug. She knew everyone was mad at Lilly and that Kenny wanted to leave her on the side of the road. And then Lilly had said that Lee was a murderer too...

Nobody seemed to like either of them much after that.

Clementine wondered if the group hated her as well. Maybe that was why Lee and Lilly had brought her with them when they left. She couldn't remember doing anything wrong, but sometimes Kenny got mad at people even when they didn't do bad things – so she guessed it was possible.

"Maybe there's a way we can travel there without just wandering the streets." Lilly proposed, rising to her feet. "Most of these rooftops are pretty close together, and there's a fire escape on the upper floors."

Lee folded his arms, eyebrows raised. "You, uh, really think we could pull that off?" His words were accompanied by a discreet nod to Clementine. "We're not all as nimble as you."

Resolution smoldered in Lilly's fierce gaze. "I'm willing to try." She rolled her shoulders in their sockets, flexing her taut muscles. Despite her malnutrition over the last few months, she had still maintained much of her agility and strength – something she was definitely glad for. "Are you?"

Lee found himself staring at her lithe body, noticing how her movements seemed significantly lighter. The weight of the world's burdens no longer pinning her down, she was a freed spirit, one filled with hope and reckless optimism.

"Yeah." He decided. "I am."

"Me too." Clementine rocked back and forth on her heels. "Anything to get away from those monsters."

Lilly inclined her head, a bony hand falling to rest on her hip in determination. "Let's go, then."

The survivors ascended the stairs to the fourth floor, pushing open the door to the fire escape. As soon as they were outside, Lilly stopped. "Wait, you two." She raised an arm, blocking their path. "If you don't want to do this, I can get it myself and come back for you."

"But you'll be alone." Clementine stated the obvious, a note of worry in her tone.

"Yeah, and we don't know how much fuel that tank has." She mumbled, averting her eyes. "But if you two aren't up for roof-hopping, I'll do it alone. I swear, I won't mind."

Lee shook his head. "No way. I'm not letting you travel through an infested city by yourself." In the background, Clementine chirped an agreement.

His words gave her pause, as she studied her ambitious traveling companions. They were willing to put their lives on the line for her – and she would certainly give her own to ensure their safety.

_This is what a group **should** be like._

Fortunately, the fire escapes of the two adjacent buildings were relatively close to one another, so Lilly wasn't too nervous about the jump. She'd spent most of her youth running, jumping, and climbing – this was her forte. She backed up a few steps before charging forward, her tightly-wound muscles propelling her across the gap. The second building's metal stairs rattled beneath her as she landed with a clang.

A sigh of relief followed her landing – she was glad her tired body had yet to give out on her completely. "Come on." She called to the other survivors, in a failing attempt at encouragement.

Lee and Clem exchanged a glance. "Why don't you go next, sweet pea." Lee suggested, nudging her gently. "That way Lilly and I can help you from both sides."

Clementine shuffled her feet, backing up nervously. Lee stopped her, instead merely picking her up and holding her over the railing. Lilly took her off his hands, carrying her with ease before setting her down gingerly in a safe spot. "See?" She whispered to the child. "That wasn't so bad." Clementine was still visibly frightened, but Lilly's words seemed to have some positive effect. "All right, Lee, come on over."

The man drew in a deep breath, then took the leap without reluctance. His foot pushed off the railing at an awkward angle, causing him to slip. "No!" Clementine screamed as he fell.

Miraculously, something caught him. He looked up to find Lilly clutching his wrist with one hand, clinging to the balcony with the other. With a grunt, she attempted to pull the two of them up, nails clawing at the chain links above them. She dug her boots into the brick wall, eventually managing to hoist them both up. She heaved herself over the railing and safely onto the ledge, dragging Lee along after her. They collapsed onto the cold metal, Lilly panting as she waited for her heart to slow down.

"God _damn._ " Lee uttered, studying his wrist. "You're strong as hell."

She hopped to her feet, brushing herself off. "I'm a Caul." She replied simply, as if that explained everything.

Although, knowing her father, it sort of did.

Clementine pushed her way between them. "Be careful!" She scolded Lee. "You could've got hurt!"

"Sorry." His regret was genuine – he didn't want to frighten the girl any more than their demented world already had.

The survivors made their way onto the roof of the second building. The tank wasn't far – only a few streets away. But there weren't any tall buildings close enough to jump to – only houses with pitched roofs. "Well shit." Lilly muttered, realizing she probably should have thought their plan out better.

On the ground below, walkers staggered and lurched about. "What're we gonna do?" Clementine asked, her voice laden with fear.

Lilly glanced about, trying to formulate a new plan. Overhead she noticed several power lines, running all across the street and well past the tank. "Hmm..." She rested her hands on her hips, eyeing the wires. "I wonder if I could do something with those."

"With electrical wires?" Lee rebutted. "Probably not."

A chilly breeze kicked up around the survivors, prompting Lilly to pull her leather jacket tighter to her as she stepped toward the roof's edge. There was a utility pole a short distance from the building. She wagered she could clear the gap, though a fall from that height would certainly kill her. "Lilly," Lee's voice rang out from behind her, "don't even try it." She felt him seize her by the arm, trying to pull her away from the ledge. "There's no fucking way you're gonna make that jump. It's not worth the risk."

She twisted out of his grip like a stubborn child. "We've got to try _something._ " She growled. "And besides, I have an idea."

Lilly's life before the apocalypse had been dull and mundane at best. Now she was more than making up for it, she realized with the faintest hint of excitement. Sure, it was dangerous – but she felt...alive. A wild, reckless enthusiasm took hold within her as she drew in a deep breath. "Fuck it," She uttered, "I've got nothing to lose."

Her boots slammed against the rooftop as she made a running leap for the pole. _If I can just grab onto it, I can..._

Before she could make the jump off of the building, something wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. "Stop!" Lee cried, wrestling her to the ground. "Being reckless isn't gonna solve shit!"

"Get the fuck off me!" Lilly spat, fighting to break free. "I had a fucking _plan!_ "

"Yeah, well I have a plan, too." Lee held her down by her scrawny shoulders. "And it involves us getting to that tank alive. _All_ of us."

She stared up at him, into his furious eyes. In them she saw not only anger, but fear and concern as well. "I wasn't gonna fall, Lee." She said quietly. "Why are you so worried?"

Lee looked down at the woman for a long time, taking in every detail of her weathered face. Sunlight streamed down from high above them, casting a soft glow on the two survivors as they remained locked together. "Because," He whispered, leaning in close to her, "I love you. And I don't want to lose you."

Lilly ceased struggling, gazing up at him in disbelief. "You...love me?"

He released his hold on her, instead rising and helping her to her feet. "Yeah. I do."

Lilly shook her head, eyes lowered. "I never expected that. All I ever wanted was your respect – and now you're saying you _love_ me..." She avoided his gaze, continuing to look down.

"What? Is that a bad thing?"

She collected herself enough to meet his stare. "I don't need your love." She jabbed, stunning him. "Right now, I need your trust. And you obviously don't trust me – that's why you pulled me back like you did." Her eyes were filled with sadness, defying her harsh words. "You don't believe in me."

Lee balked, blindsided by her words. "Lilly, no, I-"

She dashed across the roof, pouncing for the electrical pole. In one fluid motion she reached out, grabbing the small metal climbing bars on each side and catching herself. Her legs wrapped around the pole's wooden base to prevent her from swaying. The sun blinded her as she turned away from it, catching a glimpse of Lee and Clementine's stupefied stares. She cast a smug glance at Lee, who began flipping out from the roof.

"Wow, Lilly's like a superhero!" Clementine exclaimed as she watched the woman scale the rotting wood. Lee shook his head, resting his face in his hands as he mumbled something incomprehensible. The two of them remained rooted to their spots, spectators to Lilly's stubborn ascent. She was clutching something in her mouth – the hunting knife she'd taken from the Robins bandits.

"What are you doing with that knife?" Lee called out to her. Unable to respond without dropping it, she continued to climb in silence. Upon finally reaching the top of the pole, she rested her feet on two lower metal bars and released one hand. She pulled the knife from between her teeth, and in an act of great precision and skill, began to saw through one of the thickest wires.

Lee watched helplessly as she carried out her unspoken plan. Her words still hung heavily in his mind – _I don't need your love._ While he suspected she may have just been lashing out at him, he also knew there was a great deal of honesty behind the statement. They didn't need love in this crazy world – it was just a useless comfort, a security blanket. What they _did_ need were the things he had denied her by grabbing her so barbarically. Respect. Support. Trust. He had failed to provide any of these, in a time when she so desperately needed it.

The wire snapped, leaving Lilly clutching it. _What is she doing?_ He wondered, utterly baffled. The brunette turned to stare down at the other two survivors, her old guard visibly raised once again. "You two wait here – I'm gonna get the tank and bring it over."

Lee bit back an immediate protest. Her plan was needlessly dangerous – but he didn't want her to think he didn't respect her ideas or decisions, so he remained quiet. She was trying to keep them safe; could he truly begrudge her that?

"Lilly," He called back tentatively, "Are you sure you want to do this alone? I'll go with you, if you want me to."

She shook her head. "Stay there. Keep Clementine safe." She grabbed hold of the severed wire with both hands, and then leaped from the pole.

"Jesus Christ!" Lee gasped as she swung across the street like some kind of modern Amazon woman, clinging to the wire with all she had. Beneath her, several walkers reached out, trying in vain to grab her. They had no chance, as she sailed clean over their heads.

Still in disbelief, Lee looked to Clementine for her reaction. "I didn't know Lilly could do all this cool stuff!" The girl said, watching eagerly.

"I don't think it's a matter of being _able_ to do it," Lee mumbled, "It's a matter of being _insane_ enough to do it..."

Up ahead there was a building – a two-story house. Lilly anticipated she was going to hit the side of it, so she needed to hit a window. There was about a 50/50 chance of making it safely, she guessed, since the house had an abundance of the glass fixtures. She had only to muster up the force to get through one. Curling up as tightly as she could, she pressed her feet together and held them out. She could hear Lee shouting in the background, probably warning her about the house, as if she didn't fucking see it. Doing her best to tune him out, she concentrated on the second-story window rapidly advancing on her. _I'm gonna do this._ She positioned herself to land. _It's time for me to be the hero._

The smash of glass resounded through the neighborhood as Lilly's boots shattered the window. She landed amidst a layer of broken glass, rolling to avoid the brunt of the shards' impact on her flesh. Immediately she scrambled to her feet, alert for signs of hostility. She knew the noise would be drawing walkers from all over, so she didn't have much time.

The room she had landed in was some kind of master bedroom, filled with dust and spiderwebs. _Looks like no one's been in here for a while._ The house was completely unguarded, making it feel almost as if there wasn't an apocalypse happening around it. _What I wouldn't give to go back to this._ She sighed as she brushed a cobweb away from her arm.

The tank was at the end of the street. She could probably make a run for it and still stand a fighting chance. There was no longer a safe way to get around without touching the streets, so she knew she didn't have much choice.

She wished she had been able to hold onto her rifle while climbing, though. Leaving it with Lee seemed like an okay idea at the time, but now she was nearly defenseless. _Guess I'll have to rely on melee weapons._ She decided as she drew her knife.

She opened the bedroom door, treading slowly as she made her way downstairs. Upon further inspection, she could tell the place had been looted – all of the cabinets were thrown open, a few downstairs windows smashed. The kitchen looked to be completely stripped. Knife at the ready, Lilly pulled open the front door. Right away, a walker on the lawn turned its attention to her. She ran at it, driving her blade into its forehead and then ripping it back out. The creature collapsed to the ground in a snarling heap, and she crushed its rotting skull under the heel of her boot.

There were a few walkers in the distance, but none seemed to notice her at the moment. She continued on in silence, glancing about for any threat of danger. She realized she couldn't see Lee and Clementine on the roof anymore, which worried her. She hoped they were all right, and that they didn't try to somehow follow her.

 _There it is._ Her worries were interrupted by the sight of the glorious war machine, hidden amongst the remains of the fallen city. She increased her pace, practically sprinting as walkers began to pop out of the alleys around her. She kicked aside one that had blocked her path, not slowing down. _I've got to get it working. It has to work._

The giant machine was wedged firmly into the shattered front window of a mom-and-pop store. The entrance at the top of the tank was covered by a pile of brick and wood debris. Lilly climbed up the side of the monstrous vehicle, brushing aside the wreckage. "Please, _please_ work." She whispered, laying her forehead on the cold, beige-painted metal.

Everything she had left was counting on this.

She pushed away a sign that had fallen onto the hatch, accidentally knocking it to the pavement. As it clattered to the ground, several walkers nearby raised their heads. _Shit._ They lumbered toward her, their growls drawing still more attention all around them. Lilly scrambled to pull the hatch open, but it was heavy as hell and she couldn't get a good grip on it. _Come on, you rusty piece of shit. Move!_

Something grabbed her leg. "Get off me!" She screamed as a walker's filthy hand latched onto her ankle. Its vacant, human eyes gazed upon her as she cleaved its skull with her knife. _I'm just one fuck-up away from joining them._ Even after all these months, that knowledge still terrified her. One mistake, one missed shot, and she'd become one of those creatures down there, mindless and hungering. _I'm not about to let that happen._ She resolved, as the hatch finally opened.

Inside, there were two walkers – both dressed in military uniforms. The familiar getup brought a sting to her eyes, as she remembered her father coming home from tours dressed the same way. She wondered what had happened – maybe one had been bitten and turned while they were driving. That would explain why they'd crashed.

Silently, she put the soldiers out of their miseries. As she dropped down into the machine, she could hear walkers scratching at the exterior. "I'm sorry you had to go like this." She whispered to the fallen army men. "Your sacrifice won't be in vain." Gently, she removed the helmet from one of the soldiers, fitting it onto her own head. She didn't really need it, but it made her feel better. It made her feel closer to her dad. She blinked away her tears, knowing she had to remain focused on the present.

With as much care as she could afford, Lilly pushed the bodies out of the tank through the hatch before closing it again. She felt awful, just dumping the remains of fallen soldiers like that, but it wasn't worth taking the risk to lay them to rest in some better way.

She adjusted the oversized, camouflage-colored helmet, strapping it under her chin. She thought of her dad again, how he must have done these same small tasks when he was active in the forces. She swallowed hard, squelching the cries that threatened to wrack her. Instead, she directed her sorrow into determination. She'd lost so much already – she wasn't about to give up the last two things in this world that she cared about.

Taking a seat in the cockpit, she glanced over the multitude of buttons and levers. With the hatch closed, there was no light filtering through – only a single solar-powered light panel provided illumination inside the tank. Some of the controls looked vaguely familiar to her, she realized with relief. It wasn't all as strange and foreign as she'd feared. _All right, let's hope this thing works._ She pushed a button next to one of the monitor screens. The machine whirred to life, startling Lilly as the monitor blinked on. "Holy fuck," She squealed, "It _works!_ " The screen displayed the area in front of the tank, with small panels underneath showing the back and sides. The front was still smashed into the building, with walkers pounding on the sides. "Now let's hope I can get this thing moving."

There were two levers near the driver's seat, one on each side. She simultaneously pulled them both back, sending the tank grinding backward. In the process, she knocked down a couple of walkers, rolling over them with the tank's heavy treads. "All right, we're in motion at least..." She fiddled with the levers until she figured out how to turn the vehicle – by pulling one lever back and leaving the other alone. Once she was facing the street at an appropriate angle, she thrust the levers forward, flattening hordes of undead as she crushed them beneath the massive machine.

 _We're gonna get out of Georgia with this thing._ She grinned in spite of herself. _We're gonna find someplace safe, somewhere the Turn hasn't affected. And I'm gonna spend my days with him..._

_With the man I love._


	7. Chapter 7

"Who the hell are you?"

Following Lilly's dangerous stint, Lee and Clem had agreed to go look for her. They'd descended the fire escape and dropped to the sidewalk below, weapon at the ready, when a mysterious figure appeared before them in the alleyway. It was a man – a pale, gaunt man dressed in a dirty brown jacket and worn khakis. Barricading the alley was a beat-up brown station wagon, parked haphazardly between a dumpster and a chain-link fence.

The man shook his head, his sunken eyes fixed solely on Clementine. "Who I am doesn't matter, Lee." He wrung his hands, almost anxiously. "I'm here for Clementine."

Lee's eyes widened at his use of both their names. "How do you know who we are?" He demanded.

Retaining his calm composure, the man smiled. "Clementine's been telling me all about you. Who are you, what you've done – the way you took her away from her friends so you could steal that RV with your lady friend, Lilly."

Incredulous, Lee looked to Clementine for some sort of affirmation. She kept her eyes to the ground, shuffling her feet uncomfortably. "I was talking to him on my walkie-talkie. He said he knew where my parents were."

"I thought it was broken!" A plume of rage swelled inside him. "How could you put yourself in danger like that?"

The man cleared his throat. "I _do_ know where your parents are, sweetie." He whispered, still smiling. "Come with me and I'll take you to them."

Clementine glanced up at Lee, eyes filled with unreadable emotion. "Can we go with him, Lee?" She asked earnestly. "Once Lilly comes back, I mean."

"Oh, I'm sorry Clementine – but Lee and Lilly, they can't come with us." The stranger quickly jumped in. "After all, I only have four seats in my car, and with me, you, and your parents, that'll be all four."

Lee stepped forward, blocking Clem from the man. His face was a portrait of anger and disbelief, still reeling from the girl's confession. "What the fuck do you want with us?" He growled. "With _her?_ "

The man half-turned, eyes settling on the station wagon. "Look familiar?"

Lee studied the vehicle. "…No, not really." He confessed, folding his arms as he eyed it carefully. It looked just like any other old wagon.

"Back in the woods in Macon?" The man raised his eyebrows, his smile fading. "There was a car with some _supplies_ in it?"

The memory hit him suddenly, like a stinging wasp. "No way." He uttered, taking a step back. "No fucking way."

The stranger returned his attention to Clementine. "So? What'll it be, dear?"

To Lee's relief, Clementine shook her head. "I don't want to go without Lee and Lilly." She said quietly. "Can't we all go together?"

Lee rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Sweet pea," he whispered, "I don't think this guy knows where your parents are. I think he's just been following us…"

The man quietly approached his vehicle, eyes still fixed on the two of them. Lee raised Lilly's rifle, pointing it at him with narrowed eyes. "Clementine, if you don't want to come with me, I'm afraid I'll have to go without you. And then you won't see your parents again. Is that what you want?"

"No…" Clementine whimpered.

"Look," Lee cut in, "I'm sorry for what we did back in Macon. But we were starving. I did it to protect her. So fuck off."

The stranger reached through his station wagon's open window, withdrawing a small handgun. "Give me the girl, Lee." The gun was pointed straight at him. "You don't deserve her – not after the atrocities you've committed."

"Lee!" Clementine shrieked, grabbing onto him. "I'm sorry, Lee – I didn't know! I thought he was trying to help!" Her voice cracked as she clung to the man.

Lee kept his rifle aimed squarely at the man's head. "Take another step and you're dead." He warned.

The man shrugged. "Go ahead, shoot me then. What's one more murder to a man like you?"

The stranger's words rattled him. He struggled to keep his aim steady, knowing Clementine was watching every second of the situation. He didn't want to kill any more people in front of her, but he was afraid he may not have a choice. His finger rested on the trigger, he closed his eyes for just a brief moment. _I'm sorry, Clementine._

A deafening rumble broke their tense silence. From behind the station wagon erupted a massive, bloody wall of beige steel, forcing its way into the alley. "What in the world…?" The stranger dropped his gun, backing away as the tank plowed through the narrow street. It toppled the rusty fence, and then crushed the front end of the station wagon beneath its incredible mass. "My car!"

Lee grabbed Clementine's hand, pulling her a safe distance away as the tank roared forward. The stranger stumbled on the fallen fence, catching his foot in the torn metal. "Stop! Please!" He cried, as the war vehicle loomed over him.

Lee gestured furiously, hoping Lilly would take the hint. As subtly as he could, he waved her on. "No!" The stranger cried. "Wait!"

Apparently taking note of Lee's motions, the tank pressed onward. Its treads climbed over the trapped man, smearing them with blood. When finally the tank settled to a halt, the hatch opened to reveal a soldier, their face obscured by a bloody helmet, visor, and headset. Lee stared in disbelief for a moment, taking in the unfamiliar ally. Then, as the soldier climbed further out of the tank, he realized that it was, in fact, Lilly. For whatever reason, she had donned an army helmet, and was piloting the tank like an old pro.

"Lilly!" He called out, hurrying over to her. "I can't believe you got it working!" Clementine followed close behind, gazing up at the big machine in fear and amazement.

Lilly sat casually on top of the vehicle, legs crossed and dangling over the side. "I told you I'd do it." Despite her calm pose, her tone gave away her excitement and relief. "We have almost a full tank of fuel, too – we're good to go here."

Lee pulled himself up to join her, the two of them then helping Clementine. "I'm glad to see you again." He said as he took a seat beside her. "I was worried, the way you went off like that-"

Lilly rested a cold hand on his thigh, lifting her visor to reveal her enigmatic eyes. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier." She admitted. "I just always feel like no one listens to my ideas. But I know that's not true. So…I'm sorry."

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, nestled close atop the cold metal. Finally, Lee turned his gaze to her, a smile playing briefly across his lips. "You look cute in that." He remarked, tapping her helmet.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "In a bloody army helmet?"

He shrugged modestly. "Yeah. _I_ think so, anyway."

She shook her head, concealing a smile. "Come on, get inside. I'll show you how it works."

He leaned over, catching her off-guard as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Her face flushed pink, and she pushed him away. "Come on, cut the shit." She poked him in the chest, trying to be forceful. "We've got to get moving."


	8. Epilogue

It was a long drive out of Georgia. Fortunately the tank had plenty of fuel, with some reserves inside as well. And luckily for them, hardly anyone was seeking jet fuel in an apocalypse.

Lilly had no idea how much ammo the tank's guns had, so she was careful about using them. Once they passed the cities and ended up in the countryside, there were far fewer walkers, which the woman took as a good sign.

Clementine was unusually quiet during most of the drive, prompting Lee to ask if something was wrong. "I'm okay." She replied quietly. "I just feel bad for making that guy come after us. I'm sorry, Lee. I didn't know he was gonna try to hurt you."

"It's all right, sweet pea." He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "You didn't know. Just, in the future, try not to give out personal information to strangers."

"I won't."

Up front, Lilly was still trying to master the tank's controls. She'd searched the vehicle for any sort of instruction manual or guide, with no luck. She was relying almost entirely on her old knowledge, the things she'd learned as a kid.

Sometimes, being a military brat had its advantages.

Lee appeared beside her, nesting into in the adjacent seat. "Well, it's not a magic carpet ride, but at least we got something."

She smirked. "Magic carpets aren't equipped with MK-19 grenade launchers."

Lee shook his head, chuckling at the woman's retort. "Well, as long as we're all safe and together, I don't really care what we're driving." Following his response, her smirk changed to a reluctant smile. A leader was supposed to be somber and serious, she'd always believed – but his realistic humor had a way of getting under her skin. And not at all in a bad way.

Out in the Georgia wilds, there wasn't another soul around them, living or (un)dead. Sunset was fast approaching, coloring the sky a peaceful mix of pink and purple hues. "We should get out and stretch our legs before it gets dark." Lilly suggested. So they parked under a sprawling tree beside a bubbling creek, and climbed carefully out of the vehicle.

Clementine explored the tree, rustling through the fallen leaves while Lilly knelt by the creek, splashing cold water on her face and taking sips of it from her cupped hands.

Lee crouched down beside her, mimicking her actions. She nudged him playfully, and then rested her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair lightly, then wrapped his arm around her small waist. "You know," She murmured, "this isn't so bad. Could be a hell of a lot worse."

The two of them shared a soft, gentle kiss, their lips still cold from the freezing water. "You're right." Lee agreed as they pulled apart. "If we find out Alabama's gone to hell too, maybe we can just build something out here. No walkers, no one around for miles..."

"That sounds pretty good to me." She murmured, still nestled close to him. "Let's keep that as a backup plan."

As nightfall encroached upon them, the survivors holed up in the tank once again, locking it down to rest for the night. Clementine rested against Lee, telling him goodnight before she laid across his lap. "Night, Clem." He whispered gently as she drifted off to sleep.

Lilly sat down at his other side, yawning and stretching. Still unsure of her possible reaction, he reached tentatively for her hand, taking it in his own and entwining their fingers. "Goodnight, Lilly." He whispered, trying not to disturb Clementine.

"Night, Lee." She responded just as quietly, showing him a tiny, hopeful smile. "Oh, and..." She knew he had taken a gamble by confessing his feelings earlier. She owed him the truth as well. "...I love you, too."

Clementine opened her eyes, grinning up at the two adults. "I knew it." She said in a teasing voice, giggling like a schoolgirl. "You guys like-like each other."

"I thought you were asleep." Lee raised an eyebrow at her, hiding his embarrassment with sarcasm.

"I am." She turned over and closed her eyes again, still giggling. Lee and Lilly shared a glance, Lilly's cheeks tinted pink. Eventually they huddled together, doing their best to stay warm as a chill settled into the air.

They had lost their families, their homes, everything they had ever known – they had nothing left in this realm but one another. And yet, somehow, they maintained a glimmer of hope for this lost world. For if love could bloom in such a miserable crisis as this, perhaps humanity had a chance after all.


End file.
